Promoter Oscar De La Hoya has been banging the drum for his fighter William Zepeda to get a world title shot against one of the lightweight world champions following his third-round knockout win over Giovanni Cabrera last Saturday night.
De La Hoya hasn’t been as direct as he needs to be by pinpointing the champion at 135 that he wants for Zepeda, but he only has one valid option: Shakur Stevenson.
For Zepeda to get a world title shot, he needs one of the four sanctioning bodies to order it, which none have done.
The Lightweight Landscape
- Gervonta Davis: Busy fighting Lomachenko next.
- Vasily Lomachenko: Unavailable
- Denys Berinchyk: Fighting Mark Chamberlin next, then Keyshawn Davis.
- Shakur Stevenson: Free and most viable option for Zepeda
Rated #1 by all four sanctioning bodies at 135, Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) is the most deserving of a world title shot in his next fight.
Shakur Stevenson: The Golden Ticket
Only one of the world champions at 135 is currently free: WBC belt-holder Shakur Stevenson. That’s the golden ticket De La Hoya needs to push to get a world title shot for Zepeda.
Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) is not interested in fighting Zepeda, and that’s understandable on many levels. Zepeda’s nonstop pressure style and focus on targeting the body are bad for Shakur, who specializes in making fighters miss with headshots but is vulnerable to the body.
Shakur wants lucrative unification matches against WBA lightweight champion Tank Davis and IBF champion Lomachenko. These fights will pay and increase Shakur’s popularity in the sport, moving him closer to becoming a PPV attraction.
If the World Boxing Council orders Shakur to defend his WBC belt against Zepeda next, he’ll be forced to take that fight, as long as he doesn’t have the option to squirm out of his obligation by fighting a unification against one of the other belt-holders at 135.
Last Updated on 07/09/2024
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